Peep-sight for firearms.



N0. 807,712. PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905/ J. Y. BASSELL & F. G. BLBNKNER. PEEP SIGHT FOR FIREARMS.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB/24. 1905.

INVENTOR5 ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTCE.

PEEP-SIGHT FOR FIREARMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

Application filed February 24.. 1905. Serial No. 247,079.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN Y. BASSELL and FRED C. BLENKNER, citizens of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Peep- Sights forFirearms, of which the following is a specification. 1

Our invention relates to a new and useful improvement in peep-sights for firearms.

The object of the invention is to provide a sight of the character .described in which the diameter or size of the sight-opening may be varied at will and produce an opening of any size from one the size of a needle-point to as large an opening as may be desired, thus meeting all the exigencies of the various species of shooting. By simply moving a lever the gunner may change the size of the sight-opening and have at his command an orifice of any diameter, not being limited to a predetermined series of openings or a series of sightopening's having set or fixedsizes. For instance, an aperture for a certain character of shooting may meet the visual requirements of one gunner, while others may require that the aperture be a shade larger or smaller. Heretofore the gunner has had but three sizes to choose from, as where a series of openings having fixed sizes have been used he could only select from those having the nearest similarity, while with the present device he can vary the size of the aperture to the minutest degree, and it would be almost impossible to enumerate the different sizes of openings he can produce with the universal peepsight forming the subject-matter of this invention.

Another feature resides in a locking device and indicating means whereby a gunner after adjusting the size of the sight-opening to meet his visual requirements may lock the parts in position and by observing the indicating means ascertain the exact degree of adjustment, thus enabling him to at any time pro duce the exact-sized opening he may desire. The indicating means may also be graduated and marked so as to enable the gunner to instantly set the parts to produce the proper-' sized opening for any special character of shooting.

Finally, the object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described that will be strong, durable, efficient, comparatively'simple and inexp'ensiveto produce, and

one in which the liability of the working parts getting out of order is reduced to a minimum.

With the above and other objects in view the invention relates to the novel details of construction and operation, a preferable embodiment of which is described in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a partial side elevation of a gun, showing our improved peep-sight and an ordinary front sight mounted thereon. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the sight and its'supporting-stem, showing the parts adjusted so as to produce a small-sized opening. Fig. 3 is a like view showing the parts adjusted to produce a large-sized opening. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the sight and its supporting-stem, showing the parts adjusted to produce an intermediate-sized opening. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the sight, the lockingnut being removed to show the locking-plate and the indicating-scale. Fig. 6 is a rear elevation, the casing being removed to show the interior construction. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the sight-segments and the slotted operating-plate. Fig. 8 is an inner elevation of the front plate and also showing the supporting-stem. Fig. 9 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the sight and showing a portion of the supporting-stem in elevation. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of one of the sightsegments. Fig. ll is an inner edge elevation ofthe same. Fig. 12 is an inner edge ele vation of two of the sight-segments, illustrating the manner in which the segments are crimped so as to cause their meeting surfaces to lie flush with each other and to facilitate the production of a very minute sight-opening; and Fig. 13 is a partial rear elevation showing the casing broken away and the lockthreaded stud in section to illustrate the construction and relative positions of the parts.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates the neck of the stock 2 of an ordinary rifle 3, which has been selected for thepurpose of illustrating the application of the invention; butit is to be understood that the peep-sight embodied in this. invention may be employed wherever it may be practical and advantageous. The sight proper comprises a preferably cylindrical front ring-plate 4, from which extends forwardly a central collar 5, having its inner periphery concentric with a central opening 6, provided in the said plate 4. The collar is provided at its forward end with a screwunderstood that the front plate 4 may be provided with any suitable means of support, and the construction which we have described and are about to describe for supporting said plate is merely embodied as a practical form. The stem 9 is suitably supported in an adjuste ing-barrel 10, which barrel is arranged on a bracket 11, pivoted on a base-piece 12, which latter is suit-ably fastened on the neck 1 of the stock 2, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1, the parts 10, 11, and 12 being constructed in accordance with similar structures common in the art.

The front plate fits within and has its outer face lying flush with the front edge of a cylindrical casing 13, which is formed with a rear dished wall 14, formed with a central opening 15, concentric with the opening 6. The casing 13 and the front plate 4 are suitably secured together, preferably by screws 16. The front plate 4 and the casing 13 thus assembled form a cylindrical box-like casing within which is arranged the sight-openingvarying means and operating parts. Arranged within the casing and having its rear face preferably in close proximity to the inner face of the dished wall 14 is an operatingplate 17, disposed so as to turn freely within the casing, but fitting snugly enough to prevent lateral play. The plate 17 is formed with an enlarged central opening 18, having a diameter of such length as to avoid obstructing the peep-opening. Radial slots 19 are formed in the plate 17, intermediate its inner and outer peripheries, and a tongue or lever 20, extending from the plate, projects through an elongated slot 21 in the side of the casing 13. The lever is reduced and formed with a screw-threaded stud 22 at its outer end, the said lever having sufficient length to cause a portion thereof to project beyond the outer periphery of the casing for purposes which will be hereinafter described.

Arranged between the plate 17 and the front plate 4 are a plurality of segments 23, disposed to form a sight or peep opening 24, concentric with the openings 6, l8, and 15 and adapted to be swung away from and toward each other to vary the diameter of the said opening 24. It is apparent that the number of segments 23 employed will depend considerably upon the dimensions of the peep-sight as a whole. In the detail figures of the drawings, which, it will be understood, are slightly enlarged, we have shown ten segments 23, which number has been found to produce satisfactory results. However, we do not care to limit our invention to any particular number of segments. Each segment is formed at its opposite ends and on opposite sides with fixed pins 25 and 26. The pins 25 engage with the ring of round depressions 27, formed in the rear wall of the front plate 4, arranged concentric to the opening 6 and nearer to the same than to the outer periphery of the said plate. The pins 26 on the opposite side and end of each segment project into the radial slots 19 of the operating-plate l7 and are caused to occupy a symmetrical position concentric to the opening 18 by reason of their equality in length and the concentric and symmetrical disposition of the circular depressions 27. The segments are each arranged one upon the other, as shown in Fig. 7, but so disposed as to have those sides and portions carrying the pins 25 and 26 projecting from beneath the next adjacent segment and affording a free and unobstructed action, so that the pins 25 may freely engage in the round depressions 27 and constitute the fulcrum-points and allowing the pins 26, projecting into the slots 19, to move freely along the said slots when the plate 17 is swung or oscillated. It will be obvious that each segment having afulcrum-point in its pin 25 the opposite end carrying the pin 26 must necessarily be swung in the arc of a circle the center of which is the said pin 25. By reason of the slots 19 when the lever 20 is swung upward to move the plate the pins 26 will be caused to ride along the slots outwardly, and owing to the fact that the plate is swung in the arc of a circle the said pins, and thus the free ends of the segments, will be swung away from each other and their pivot-pins, and thereby the opening 24 enlarged. When the lever 20 has been swung to the end of its upward movement, in which position it is indicated in Fig. 3, by its lock-nut or thumbscrew 28, the pins 26 will stand at the outer ends of the slots 19 and the segments 23 swung away from each other, and the opening 24 will have thus reached its maximum size. As the lever 20 is swung downward the pins 26 IIO will be caused to travel inward along the slots 4 19, thereby swinging the free ends of the segments toward each other or inward. This action gradually diminishes the size of the opening 24, and the pins 26 will continue to travel inward until they reach the inner ends of the slots 19, at which point the opening 24 will have attained its intermediate size, as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7. When the parts have reached this position, the lever 20 will stand at substantially right angles to the imaginary vertical axis of the plate 17, as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7. On continuing the downward movement of the lever 20 the pins 26 will again travel outward along the slots 20, and

owing to the fact that the segments are being swung each from their fixed pivotal pins 25 in the arc of a circle and toward each other the size of the opening 24 will continue to diminish until the lever 20 reaches the end of its downward movement, as indicated by its lock-nut 28 in Fig. 2, when the opening 24 will have reached its minimum size. In order that the opening 24 may be reduced to the size of a needle-point, each segment is crimped centrally inward from its inner periphery, as indicated at 29 in Figs. 10 and 11. By so crimping the segments the separation between their sides which would be caused ordinarily by the thickness of the metal is overcome, and thus the segments lying practically flush with each other, as indicated in Fig. 12, can be moved so close together that the opening 24 may be diminished to such a fine degree as to be almost imperceptible or to produce the needle-point opening herein referred to. It is obvious that by swinging the lever 20 either up or down the size of the peep-opening 24 may be instantly increased or diminished and also the size of the said opening may be varied to the minutest degree.

For the purpose of maintaining the peepopening 24 at a desired size or to set the segments 23 so as to produce an opening 24 of a predetermined size we provide asegmental locking-plate 30, formed with a rectangular opening 31, through which that portion of the lever 20 extending beyond the outer periphery of the casing projects. However, the

outer end of the lever 20 terminates practically flush with the outer surface of the locking-plate 30, so that the lock or thumb nut 28, fitted on the stud 22, may be screwed down to bear on the said locking-plate and bind the same in contact with the outer periphery of the casing 13, the contour of which the inner face of the said locking-plate is shaped to fit. The locking-plate is provided centrally and opposite the longitudinal center of the stud 22 with an index-point 32, adapted to register with the graduations of a scale 33, arranged on the outer periphery of the casing 13 parallel with the slot 21. From this it will be apparent that when the lever 20 is swung either up or down the locking-plate 30 will be simultaneously moved and the index-point 32 carried over the scale 33. The scale 33 being graduated to correspond with the different-sized openings, it is apparent that by moving the lever 20 so that the index-point 32 registers'with the graduation indicating the sized opening desired the segments 23 will be simultaneously moved by the ring 17 and the said opening instantly produced. Then by screwing down the thumb-nut 28 the plate 30 will be immediately and firmly locked in position and the parts secured in the positions to which they are adjusted. However, the scale 33'is not absolutely necessary, as the gunner peeping through the opening after having loosened the thumb-nut 28 may swing the lever 20 up or down to increase or decrease the size of the opening to suit his fancy or to meet his personal visual requirements for a certain character of shooting, and

when having attained the desired-sized opening by simply slightly turning the thumb-nut 28 he may bind the locking-plate 30 against the casing 13, and thus lock the segments in position and maintain the opening at the size desired until he again wishes to change the same.

It will be observed that irrespective of the number of segments employed the opening 24 will not be ordinarily exactly circular.as, for instance, in the present instance, where ten segments are employed, the opening 24 will have the form of a decagon; but this difficulty we have found may be readily overcome by employing a conical grinder tapered toward its apex to an'extremely fine and sharp point. Then by inserting the point of the grinder in the opening '24, revolving the grinder at a high rate of speed, and gradually increasing and diminishing the size of the opening 24 by swinging the segments the exposed portions of the inner peripheries of the segments may be ground so as to cause the various-sized openings produced by the manipulation of the segments to be substantially circular. After the segments have been ground as described they will appear as shown in Fig. 10, with the outer portion 340i? their inner periphery cut on a different are of acircle than the inner portion of the inner periphery, or, in other words, the inner periphery of each segment is formed with two arcs which extend oppositely from the crimped portion 29, which, as hereinbefore described, is made in the center of each segment.

- From the foregoing it is thought that the construction and operation of our invention will be clearly understood. However, there are certain advantages and uses which should be more clearly set forth. As is well known, it is very desirable and absolutely necessary in order to produce a satisfactory peepsight-that the same be capable of presenting peep sight openings of different sizes or diameters. It is therefore obvious that our device which presents a peep-opening capable of being gradually increased or diminished and by which any-sized opening may be formed and varied to the slightest degree eifectually and satisfactorily accomplishes the results which have heretofore been sought with more or less success. By simply loosening the thumb-nut 28 and swinging the lever 20 up or down the segments 23 are moved away or toward each other to increase or diminish the size of the opening 24. It is to be understood that the weather conditions, as

well as the character of shooting, govern the his visual requirements. When the peep-sight is used in close or fine shooting, it is desirable that the'sight-opening 24. be diminished; but the fineness or minuteness of the opening depends largely upon the desires of the gunner, and while a series of openings having fixed sizes may serve his purposes to some extent by means of the universal device herein described he may adjust the sight-opening 24 at will to the finest degree and he may vary the adjustment the slightest shade, so that he is not limited to certain-sized openings, which he otherwise would be.

l Ve wish it understood that although our invention has been shown and described in connection with firearms it may be used on rapid-fire guns and other styles of ordnance and that various changes and alterations may be made in its construction and operation wholly within the scope of the claims and without departing from the spirit of our inveution.

Having now fully described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a peep-sight for guns, the combination I with a t'ront sight and a support, of a casing formed with a peep-opening, and means associated with the opening for contracting or enlarging the same.

2. In a peep-sight for guns, the combination with a front sight and a support, of a plurality of movable parts adapted to form a sightopening, and means for moving the parts to vary the size of the opening.

'3. In a peep-sight for guns, the combination with a front sight and a support, of a plurality of movable parts adapted to form a sightopening, means for moving the parts to vary the size of the opening, and means for locking the parts in position.

4. In a peep-sight for guns, the combination with a front sight and a support, of a plurality of pivoted parts adapted to form a sight-openlocking means associated with the swinging means for locking the parts in position.

6. In a peep-sight for guns, the combination with a front sight and a support, of a plurality of pivoted parts adapted to form a sight-opening, means for swinging the parts to increase or diminish the size of the opening, locking means associated with the swinging means for locking the parts in position, and means for indicating the size of the opening formed by the pivoted parts.

7 In a peep-sight for guns, the combination with afront sight and a support, of a plurality of parts pivotallysupported at one end and adapted to form a sight-opening, movable means engaged with the free ends of the parts and adapted when moved to swing the movable parts to vary the size of the opening formed thereby.

8. In a peep-sight for guns, the combination with a frontsight and a support, of a plurality of parts pivotally supported at one end and adapted to form a sight-opening, movable means engaged with the free ends of the parts and adapted when moved to swing the movable parts to vary the size of the opening formed thereby, and means for. locking the movable means in position to fix the size of the opening.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN Y. BASSELL. FRED (J. BLENKNER.

Witnesses:

A. L. PHELPS, M. B. SGI-ILEY. 

